Haeo

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Stabby @Zeroth

Femus listened and thought. For several long moments, he hardly moved as he debated and considered the details and the odds. He wanted to get this over with. He needed a safe place to do it. There wasn't a known safe place nearby. All they could do is to head away from danger and keep their eyes open.

"You're right. Let's... get some distance between us and these goblins."

Femus was normally very steady and decisive. But, the prospect of a forced evolution and the pressure of having so little knowledge to work with was shaking his nerve more than he could completely hide. His voice had a subtle tremor to it and an unusually thin tone, as though it were a bubble on the verge of breaking. But, more than all these signs of disquiet, there was one thing that made his current uncertainty terribly clear.

He waited to follow Nira's lead.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Stabby @Zeroth

Femus spotted Nira's approach and let her speak first. She was right, the decision was between hiding and fleeing. But, there was a complication that she didn't know about yet. There was no time for idle guesswork.

"I gained another level but the system gave me a warning. My body can't delay 'evolution' for much longer. My gut tells me that we should use this chance to get to the tree while everything's scared and hiding from the goblins. But, moving when I could start evolving anytime seems like a risky gamble. If we stay on the far side of this tree from the goblins and stay quiet, I could go through this... evolution... and then we can move on. I don't know how long it will take but... everything in this world seems faster than things were in ours. What do you think?"

He wasn't the leader of their little group. The decision had to be mutual. If he did enter the evolution process, he'd be vulnerable and completely relying on Nira's protection. Even if he didn't do it now, he'd have to do it before he gained his next level.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Trace Retloth
Main Entrance Assault

Trace had to adjust his plan. The allies attacking the south gate could handle two enemies, especially with one of them wounded already. The two fresh enemies that just came out the front door were a different matter. Those could make things tougher if more allies didn't get involved. And, it just so happened that they didn't seem to have noticed Trace yet. This was good, he could rush the remaining distance without weakening but that would be it. He'd need to avoid unnecessary running for a bit after that. He changed his target and dashed toward the swordsman, driving his spear toward the enemy's lower ribcage. Swordsmen were rarely taught effective counters for the lance so this should be the quicker of the two fights. If he could stop the enemy's breath or cause any other mortal wound, he could then concentrate on the axe wielder next. But, he kept his feet light and his eyes on both nearby foes. He would need to dodge if he was going to survive.

_________________________ Status: Lightly Injured and Winded Class: Recruit Inventory: Iron Lance 3/3 Vulnerary 3/3 Exp:75

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Zeroth @Stabby

Femus was patient. He disciplined himself every time he felt the urge to despair or hurry. He had such hope that he could grasp something great, that his thinking was correct, that the ridiculously potent benefits of altering a region could be his with this little bit of work. But, he was disappointed.

Dead hope tastes like ash… and blood. It was good that he hadn't invested more heavily in this experiment.

He had overreached himself and had gained nothing like what he had sought. But, he had not come away without a reward. He had gained three new skills-in-the-making along with a level. But his enthusiasm for these rewards was limited. He had also received a warning message. It seemed that he couldn’t put off evolving for very long at all. He would have to choose and it seemed extremely unlikely that there would be a way to go back. But, the warning message gave him an idea. If the system could send warnings… perhaps it could receive requests.

Still, it had been a long and very active day. Femus collected the last bud, wilted though it was, and settled in for the night without further concern, doing what he could to dim his natural glow as he did so.

--- Day 6 ---

Femus awoke to the sound of goblin chatter and a sense of unease in his body. His evolution was a pressing concern… with a time limit. He turned his attention to the goblin gathering first. They were forming a raiding party… diverse combat styles were being chosen but only the best candidates from each type. It was basic strategy but functional. However, these gobs didn’t usually form groups like this to hunt. They would need to respect their opponent to do this. Respect… didn’t easily come to goblins, from what little Femus had seen.

It was probably another tribe. That’s what his gut told him. Tribal conflict could disrupt the forest for a day or a decade with humans. Goblins probably lived shorter lives but their war could still take months if it dragged on. Femus had no intention of being collateral damage in another war. This time, he wasn’t tied down by a home and a business.

He felt a sudden surge of relief that he had failed to create a formation. It would have been tempting to hunker down if he had. But, he had his skills and a companion who learned well and had good goals. And, they could both fly.

He was going to look for Nira and wake her so they could decide what to do next but he realized something first and stayed silent. He was level 6 because he had gained experience… without killing. Developing his skills had earned him a level and he now had 10 points to distribute. But, the list wasn’t in front of him anymore. Still, he could remember a few of the things that were on it.

He formed his will into words within his mind, seeking to communicate with the system without making any sound. “System, I wish to distribute the points I have been given. I wish to place three points into Growth, three into Mana Drain, and four into Crafting. Please display my current Skill List and Evolution options.” He could have used the points to complete the skill development but with his new knowledge that skill development granted experience it seemed like an ungrateful waste to do something so lazy. Instead, he would simply shorten the distance he needed to go before earning them himself. He took a few moments to study what he saw.

The next part would be more challenging. He would have to decide between the options available for his Evolution. He had wanted to wait, but with so many skills close to being completed and the experience bonus he would earn from them combined with the warning that he received from the system upon gaining level six… it was possible that his next level could compel an unwilling evolution. He wasn’t willing to risk that.

With the goblins moving in numbers, it was likely that the predators would be cautious and less likely to hunt aggressively for a time. This could be the best opportunity to evolve in relative safety. But, he would need to bring Nira up to speed before making his decision and looked toward where she had been to check on her condition.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

Trace Retloth
Fort Battle {Chapter 1} West Side to South Side Transition

The enemies at the western gate fell in moments. Artemisia had regained her bearings and was already moving to counter the archers who were firing from inside the fort. It was clear that there would be an assault using the explosives on the western wall. Yet, though the Prince was going to probably go through the breach, it seemed that there were already several others who were focusing on that path as well. Though, it was only small movements and glances that betrayed their intent. If Trace had to be honest, the relative lack of order in this battle made him nervous. There were quite a few rookies in this group and they weren't being paired with veterans. They were instead rushing off and risking death. Death is normal in a battle, but losing allies when you have little to no hope of replacing them was not a reliable way to survive a war. Normally, Trace would have stuck by his employer under these chaotic circumstances. It was better to guarantee that you get paid than it was to die devoted to your job. But, this time the employer had shown diverse skills and good personal battle sense. He was also supported by a number of others, talented rookies and veterans both. Trace wasn't needed there. The highest risk to their battle power now was the rookies that headed south to face the bulk of the enemy forces. If they just charged inside that way they would be swarmed. Even a pack of children can bring down a knight if they all pile on them at once. "Boss, I'll support the southern advance!" He raised his voice, which few had heard to date. It wasn't the typical way of addressing a prince but it would reduce the odds of an overlooked enemy targeting him because of careless words. After all, the greatest irony is for a mercenary to accidentally cause the death of their own employer. With his intention stated, Trace began dashing to the south. The sound of arrows striking the ground and magic assailing the walls above meant that he wasn't likely to be of immediate use. Still, he would be another target to distract any remaining archers. But, his objective was the enemies that he could engage himself. Reducing the enemy's power was the best way to protect their own. The rookie on the horse seemed to be alright, just a couple nicks, and was working on silencing those archers above. She had promise. Battles required communication but it was entirely different from social situations. Everything on the battlefield was about surviving and winning. It was easy to know what to say and when... and when not. Promising or not, she was a rookie and Trace decided not to distract her. Instead he continued bolting past her, boots sliding in the dust as he rounded the corner and saw a lancer and a wounded axe bandit moving away from the entrance. Clearly, they were going to attack the group that was attacking from the south. But, he wasn't sure that he could make it in time. If he could, he would finish off the axe wielder with a swift lunge to his vitals. But, that would be it. He would need to slow down after running so far so quickly or he would suffer in his next fight. The lancer was almost guaranteed to reach those in the south before Trace could recover his stamina.

_________________________ Status: Lightly Injured, Winded Class: Recruit Inventory: Iron Lance (3/3) Vulnerary Exp:75/75

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Stabby @Zeroth

Femus had learned a lot in a short time. Chanting was valuable but potentially dangerous with high yield but at a matching cost. He would need to use it properly. He had also gained two skills, one was Shield. Finally, he could try to protect himself from enemy attacks. He wouldn't have much time before Nira returned so he concentrated on quickly meditating back to full mana. The next task would be more complicated. The materials he had gathered wouldn't last forever. Sap hardens all too quickly and he wouldn't be able to guarantee that it would wait until they reached the biggest tree in the neighborhood.

He would have to try his best as soon as Nira returned. This would hopefully be the first step toward the kind of power he wanted to master. The kind of power that would allow him to defeat any foe and protect any person or place whether he was there or not. With these thoughts, he heard Nira return. Now that he was more familiar with her, her way of moving announced her presence clearly. Though, he didn't actually see her return. She had approached from a blind angle, but she hadn't hid her approach and he caught her wave out of the corner of his eye before she spoke.

"It's getting a bit late to move so we should probably stay here for the night, preferably on a branch or two with denser leaf coverage. For now though I'm going to try something with meditation while we still have time."

"Alright. I'll be working on something as well. I'd rather avoid moving around too much in the dark until I get better at limiting my glow." Femus answered simply. He didn't want to reveal how annoyed he was at losing the safety of his tree hollow. A wisp alone was at quite the risk at night. But, there wasn't any time to waste. If he was threatened, he could use Shock Round to deal with it... probably.

Now, it was time to work.

Femus took his time pulling his gathered materials apart with lesser force, taking great care to avoid damaging the leaves as he needed them to be unhurt for his plan. Next, he began the prep-work. He gently twisted one of the strips of inner bark from the Old Kao tree until it resembled a flower bud. Then, making sure that the bark was still well covered with sticky sap and holding it in shape, he wrapped a fresh and undamaged leaf around it, matching its shape as closely as possible without tearing the leaf. The result that he wanted was a simulated 'Old Kao Bud'. This he would hold together, gently but firmly while moving it around to speed the drying of the sap until it could easily hold its shape and integrity. He would make as many of these as his materials allowed before moving on to the next step. If he got low on mana at any point then he would simply take a break to meditate.

The theory was simple enough. The development of Shock Round had proven that elements existed. It was possible that they were independent of any other carrier but it felt more like they were sub-varieties of mana. What he wanted was to be able to cultivate medicinal plants and magical herbs like the Blue Yill. So, the first step would be to gather the type of mana most closely aligned with plants. For that, the best tool would have to be plant based. To help the parts interact well, it would help if they were all from the same species. Finally, after putting them all together, he would need to actually try to create the structures that would produce the desired effect.

Femus knew that he was weak. He had just received his first chance to evolve after reaching level 5. If that was normal, then evolution would give greater power than any level. In short, he was weak... very, very weak. A full scale formation that gathered mana on its own and created a mana rich environment would be a master work, far beyond what he could create with his current power. Even if he already knew how and had the materials, he wouldn't be able to start the thing up. So, this first design would require the user to give it mana in a steady stream but should gather 'Nature' mana from the surroundings... and possibly store it as well. In any case, the results would provide him with a wealth of information about how all this works.

When the first 'Kao Bud' was firm enough to be handled, Femus set it down on a stable part of the branch where it wouldn't fall. Then he took a small twig from another branch nearby and used Lesser Force to sharpen one end into a simple stylus. If it had a decent point, he would begin making tiny holes in the leaf exterior of the 'Kao Bud' that would form the lines of a spiral from the tip to the base while focusing on how he wanted mana to move along those lines and gather in the 'Kao Bud'. Once the lines were done, he would carefully try to extend his mana into the bud. He sought to trace those spiral lines and create a current that would draw the mana most native to the trees into the pattern and into the bud.

Again, if he ran out of Mana, he would meditate back up to full before resuming his attempt while using Magic Analysis and seeking to understand the plants and sense the changes in the surrounding mana. Hopefully, the nature of the leaf which draws in air and the inner bark which guides the flow of nutrients through the plant while protecting it would work with this attempt and guide and protect the gathered elemental mana as well.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Indeed and truly. Digbie is taking some risks here, but he's also leveraging his dominant position. The change in Rags Nar's group could indicate a desire to look stronger as well as a wish to have protection when taking a risk. This could be the Broke Tower Gobs' true kill party. If they can be intimidated and controlled, then Digbie will have gained a lot of power that he doesn't know how to use. But, the releasing of the animal would be less effective than if he had a taming skill and could tame it properly. That would secure the other gobs obedience... for awhile at least.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Stabby @Zeroth

Femus took in every detail as best he could in those final key moments before the Shock Round stabilized and activated. The power of the strike was nothing to scoff at. He hadn't expected it to be able to do such harm to a tree when it was based on a simple Mana Orb of the first level. Then, he got the notification and description of the skill from the System.

Skill Gain: Shock Round I (0.8 > 1.0)!
The lightning-themed version of a basic magical attack. With roughly the same power, range, and MP consumption as a Mana Orb, it has the unique property of being able to home in on a target, though it moves slowly and may dissipate after a few moments. However, as an elemental spell, these same properties render it harder to use in certain circumstances. Elementally opposed targets, for example, will be much less effected.

System:Femus

Homing caught his eye and mind. The possibilities expanded his horizons greatly in regard to strategy. However, the description indicated that the spell was somewhat unstable and might have some range limitations due to its chance to dissipate. So, it was a good step in a good direction but he shouldn't trust his life to it just yet. Most importantly, he had now confirmed that he could use a simple chant to assist memory based visualization to create new spells.

Maybe he could use this method to finalize his Shield spell. He settled the excited beating of his tiny heart and meditated intensely, trying to deepen the draw that pulled mana to him as he did so. Once he was again over his standard limit, Femus sought to concentrate his mana, moving it from its normal paths through his body into the skin and muscles and bones. He sought to simply bolster their toughness. And, while concentrating on this task, he muttered the words that came to mind.

"Mana, toughen this flesh, Shield."

Femus also used his Magic Analysis skill through his perception of his own body to study the effects and behaviors of this spell-in-the-making. In particular, he wanted to see how the mana moved. He wanted to understand what it was and how its parts interacted as he had come to understand the bodies of the animals that he helped butcher back home. What interacted to produce a certain movement or change? The more he could understand, the more progress he could make toward his goal of creating a Magic Gathering Formation.

However, at the end of these tests, he looked and listened for Nira's return. As capable as she was to survive as a pixie in this place, there were still a lot of things that could kill her. If her return was delayed, he might have to go looking for her... and, thinking of his own limits in battle, possibly reconsider the benefits of getting closer help from a certain wild pixie. Though, these thoughts truly only showed that he was already starting to miss her presence. He didn't want to be the only 'person' around for the rest of this strange life.

Fire Emblem: Ashes of Sacrifice [Fall of the Empire]

So... is that what Boyd would look like 10 years after Radiant Dawn... if he doesn't shave?

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Stabby @Zeroth

The last thing that Femus expected was to have Nira call out to him for advice. He continued holding his spell stable and tried to keep a part of his mind on developing Shock Round while he figured out what to do. It was clear that Nira was feeling the pressure after starting to develop a relationship with this other pixie. But, Femus hesitated to respond. He felt like they weren't capable enough to bring in a pet/ally at that level. The pixie could be useful but it would have to settle down first, completely going against its nature. It just didn't seem possible. A wisp might be a better bet but those seemed... grumpier.

Maybe they should start smaller and develop skills to help them out with this kind of thing. Perhaps bugs or small mice or something like that. Still, he hadn't seen anything like that... unless it was in something else's stomach. For now, though... he needed to answer

"If it can't be controlled, and it can't be trusted, then we don't need it with us. If it follows us or we encounter it later, we'll deal with it then. If we have the right skills by then, we might even be able to pull off taming it." He said finally, speaking loudly enough to be heard but without exposing himself visually.

Oddly enough, the act of speaking while trying to maintain a spell brought something to mind. Magic often involved chants and such. Maybe that would help to finish this skill faster. He kept his volume down for this though. Small spell, small chant... something simple.

"Shocking force enhance, Shock Round."